D.C. Act 25-529. Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2024.
AN ACT
To amend, on an emergency basis, Article II of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes to direct the Mayor to establish a truancy pilot for the purpose of referring students with unexcused absences to the Department of Human Services and documenting attendance and academic outcomes of students receiving interventions from the Department of Human Services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2024".
Sec. 2. Section 7 of Article II of An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, effective September 19, 2013 (D.C. Law 20-17; D.C. Official Code § 38-208), is amended by adding a new subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
"(c-1)(1)(A) By August 12, 2024, the Mayor shall identify 5 secondary educational institutions in the District that had a truancy rate greater than 50% in the 2023-2024 school year to participate in a truancy pilot with the Department of Human Services ("DHS") during School Year 2024-2025.
"(B) The Mayor shall notify the identified educational institutions of their participation in the truancy pilot at least 10 business days before the first day of instruction in School Year 2024-2025. The notice shall include appropriate agency contacts, timelines, and procedures for complying with paragraph (2) of this subsection.
"(2) The 5 secondary educational institutions identified pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall refer each student who is 14 years of age through 17 years of age to DHS no later than 2 school days after the accrual of 15 unexcused full school day absences within a school year.
"(3) By March 31, 2025, DHS shall publish a preliminary report, and by August 15, 2025, DHS shall publish a final report that:
"(A) Describes the interventions and services provided through the truancy pilot;
"(B) Provides the 5 most common reasons for unexcused absences for the students referred to DHS, such as housing instability, transportation issues, or medical emergencies;
"(C) Presents aggregate data on the 5 most common truancy intervention services or programs that students referred to DHS utilized; and
"(D) Provides an analysis that compares:
"(i) The attendance outcomes, academic performance, and delinquency status of students referred to DHS to the students' attendance outcomes, academic performance, and delinquency status during the same time period in the prior school year;
"(ii) The attendance outcomes, academic performance, and delinquency status of students referred to DHS before and after the DHS referral during the applicable time period for School Year 2024-2025; and
"(iii) The attendance outcomes and academic performance of educational institutions participating in the truancy pilot with the attendance and academic performance during School Year 2024-2025 of non-participating secondary educational institutions that are sociodemographically similar to participating educational institutions.
"(4) For purposes of paragraph (3) of this subsection, the term "delinquency status" means whether a minor student was arrested by a law enforcement official during the time period analyzed in the report.
"(5) Educational institutions participating in the truancy pilot shall be exempt from the requirements of subsection (c) of this section for minor students who are 14 years of age through 17 years of age.".
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
Sec. 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).
